Polite passionate persuasion: Hume's conception of rhetoric

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While confronting questions about the negative political effects of faction and fanaticism, David Hume developed a distinction between the manipulative rhetoric of the fanatics and the factional leaders and a good form of rhetoric that I term accurate, just, and polite. This high form of rhetoric combines Hume's philosophy of just reasoning with the rhetorical style of an idealized Demosthenes and eighteenth-century standards of politeness. Understanding Hume's conception of rhetoric is important for understanding the full scope of his political philosophy. In addition, further study of his conception of rhetoric could provide a valuable avenue of research for contemporary liberal theorists seeking to develop normative models of judgment and deliberation. Copyright